Editing ICC Men's Test Team Rankings (section)

==Historical rankings==
The ICC provides ratings for the end of each month back to June 2003. The teams that have successively held the highest rating since that date, by whole month periods are:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Team
! Start
! End
! Total months
! Cumulative months
! Highest rating
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || June 2003 || August 2009 || 74 || 74 || 143
|-
| {{cr|SA}} || August 2009 || November 2009 || 3 || 3 || 122
|-
| {{cr|IND}} || November 2009 || August 2011 || 21 || 21 || 125
|-
| {{cr|ENG}} || August 2011 || August 2012 || 12 || 12 || 125
|-
| {{cr|SA}} || August 2012 || May 2014 || 21 || 24 || 135
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || May 2014 || July 2014|| 3 || 77 || 123
|-
| {{cr|SA}} || July 2014 || January 2016 || 18 || 42 || 130
|-
| {{cr|IND}} || January 2016 || February 2016 || 1 || 22 || 110
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || February 2016 || August 2016 || 6 || 83 || 118
|-
| {{cr|IND}} || August 2016 || August 2016  || 1 || 23 || 112
|-
| {{cr|PAK}} || August 2016 || October 2016  || 2 || 2 || 111
|-
| {{cr|IND}} ||  October 2016 || May 2020  || 43 || 66 || 130
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || May 2020 || January 2021 || 8 || 91 || 116
|-
| {{cr|NZL}} || January 2021 || March 2021 || 2 || 2 || 118
|-
| {{cr|IND}} ||  March 2021 || June 2021 || 3 || 69 || 122
|-
| {{cr|NZL}} ||  June 2021 || December 2021 || 6 || 8 || 126
|-
| {{cr|IND}} ||  December 2021 || January 2022 || 1 || 70 || 124
|-
|{{cr|AUS}} ||  January 2022 || May 2023 || 16 || 107 || 128
|-
| {{cr|IND}} ||  May 2023 || January 2024 || 8 || 78 || 121
|-
|{{cr|AUS}} || January 2024 || March 2024 || 2 || 109 || 117
|-
| {{cr|IND}} || April 2024  || April 2024 || 1 || 79 || 121
|-
| style="background:gold;" |'''{{cr|AUS}}''' || May 2024 || Incumbent ||  ||  || 
|-
|-
|colspan=6|<small>''Reference: ICC Rankings''</small>
|}

The summary of teams that have held the highest rating from June 2003 to the present by whole month periods are:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Team
! Total Months
! Highest Rating
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || 109 || 143
|-
| {{cr|IND}} || 78 || 130
|-
| {{cr|SA}} || 42|| 135
|-
| {{cr|ENG}} || 12 || 125
|-
| {{cr|NZL}} || 8 || 126
|-
| {{cr|PAK}} || 2 || 111
|-
|colspan=5|<small>''Reference: ICC Historical Rankings''</small>
|}

Since the ICC officially began ranking teams in 2003, Australia had dominated the rankings table. However, from 2009, several teams (Australia, South Africa, India, England, New Zealand, and Pakistan) have competed for the top positions. 

The ICC retrospectively applied the current rating system to results since 1952 (providing ratings for the end of each month from then). The table only begins then, as prior to 1952 there is insufficient data available due to the infrequency of matches and the small number of competing teams in these earlier periods.<ref>{{cite web|title=Historical rankings |url=http://www.icc-cricket.com/match_zone/historical_ranking.php |access-date=28 March 2017 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107124239/http://www.icc-cricket.com/match_zone/historical_ranking.php |archive-date=7 November 2012|work=[[International Cricket Council]]}}</ref>

The teams that have successively held the highest rating from January 1952 until May 2003, by whole month periods are:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Team
! Start
! End
! Total months
! Cumulative months
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || January 1952 || May 1955 || 41 || 41 
|-
| {{cr|ENG}} || June 1955 || February 1958 || 33 || 33
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || March 1958 || July 1958 || 5 || 46
|-
| {{cr|ENG}} || August 1958 || December 1958 || 5 || 38
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || January 1959 || December 1963 || 60 || 106
|-
| {{cr|WIN}} || January 1964 || December 1968 || 60 || 60
|-
| {{cr|SA|1928}} || January 1969 || December 1969 || 12 || 12
|-
| {{cr|ENG}} || January 1970 || January 1973 || 37 || 75
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || February 1973 || March 1973 || 2 || 108
|-
| {{cr|IND}} || April 1973 || June 1974 || 15 || 15
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || July 1974 || January 1978 || 43 || 151
|-
| {{cr|WIN}} || February 1978 || January 1979 || 12 || 72
|-
| {{cr|ENG}} || February 1979 || August 1980 || 19 || 94
|-
| {{cr|IND}} || September 1980 || February 1981 || 6 || 21
|-
| {{cr|WIN}} || March 1981 || July 1988 || 89 || 161
|-
| {{cr|PAK}} || August 1988 || September 1988 || 2 || 2
|-
| {{cr|WIN}} || October 1988 || January 1991 || 28 || 189
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || February 1991 || April 1991 || 3 || 154
|-
| {{cr|WIN}} || May 1991 || July 1992 || 15 || 204
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || August 1992 || January 1993 || 6 || 160
|-
| {{cr|WIN}} || February 1993 || August 1995 || 31 || 235
|-
| {{cr|IND}} || September 1995 || November 1995 || 3 || 24
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || December 1995 || July 1999 || 44 || 204
|-
| {{cr|SA}} || August 1999 || December 1999 || 5 || 17
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || January 2000 || February 2000 || 2 || 206
|-
| {{cr|SA}} || March 2000 || March 2000 || 1 || 18
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || April 2000 || July 2001 || 16 || 222
|-
| {{cr|SA}} || August 2001 || August 2001 || 1 || 19
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || September 2001 || May 2003 || 21 || 243
|-
|colspan=5|<small>''Reference: ICC Historical Rankings''</small>
|}

The summary of teams that have held the highest rating from 1952 to the present by whole month periods are:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Team
! Total months
! Highest rating
|-
| {{cr|AUS}} || 352 || 143
|-
| {{cr|WIN }} || 235 || 135
|-
| {{cr|ENG}} || 106 || 125
|-
| {{cr|IND}} || 102 || 130
|-
| {{cr|SA}}|| 61 || 135
|-
| {{cr|NZL}} || 8 || 126
|-
| {{cr|PAK}} || 4|| 111
|-
|colspan=5|<small>''Reference: ICC Historical Rankings''</small>
|}